{{Short description|British diplomat (born 1956)}} {{about||the Indian politician|Asif Ahmad (politician)|people with a similar name|Asif Ahmed (disambiguation){{!}}Asif Ahmed}} {{Use British English|date=November 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Asif Ahmad | honorific_suffix = CMG | image = Asif Ahmad.jpg | image_size = 220px | alt = | caption = | office = British High Commissioner to Jamaica | term_start = August 2017 | term_end = August 2021 | predecessor = David Fitton | successor = Judith Slater | prime_minister = Theresa May<br />Boris Johnson | monarch = Elizabeth II | office1 = British High Commissioner to the Bahamas | term_start1 = 2017 | term_end1 = 2019 | predecessor1 = David Fitton | successor1 = Sarah Dickson | prime_minister1 = Theresa May | monarch1 = Elizabeth II | office2 = British Ambassador to the Philippines and Ambassador to Palau | term_start2 = July 2013 | term_end2 = July 2017 | predecessor2 = Stephen Lillie | successor2 = Daniel Pruce | prime_minister2 = David Cameron<br />Theresa May | monarch2 = Elizabeth II | office3 = British Ambassador to Laos and Ambassador to Thailand | term_start3 = 2010 | term_end3 = 2012 | predecessor3 = Quinton Quayle | successor3 = Philip Malone (as ''Ambassador to Laos'')<br />Mark Kent (as ''Ambassador to Thailand'') | prime_minister3 = David Cameron | monarch3 = Elizabeth II | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1956|1|21}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | party = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = St Cuthbert's Society, Durham | occupation = | profession = Diplomat | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Asif Ahmad''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CMG}} ({{langx|bn|আসিফ আনোয়ার আহমেদ}}; born 21 January 1956) is a banker-turned-diplomat, having served as a Senior Civil Servant at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. From 2017 to August 2021 he was the British High Commissioner to Jamaica. He was the British Ambassador to Thailand from November 2010 until August 2012.<ref name="whoswho">{{cite web |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U254203|title=Ahmad, Asif Anwar|work=Whoswho 2012, online edition|author=A & C Black|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2012|accessdate=8 May 2012}}</ref> He was the British Ambassador to the Philippines from July 2013 to 2017.<ref name="gov.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-her-majesty-s-ambassador-to-the-philippines|title=Announcement|work=FCO website|author=Foreign and Commonwealth Office|accessdate=3 January 2013}}</ref> He has also been accredited to the Bahamas, Palau and Laos.
==Early life== Ahmad was born on 21 January 1956 in London, England. He is the son of the late Salahuddin Ahmad, a Pakistani and later Bangladeshi diplomat and Bandana Ahmad, an expert in social services in the UK. He was educated at the Community High School, Tehran and then Carlisle Technical College. He studied economics at St Cuthbert's Society, Durham University, graduating in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Later, he attended INSEAD and completed its International Executive Program in 1991.<ref name="Who's Who 2015">{{cite web|title=AHMAD, Asif Anwar|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U254203|website=Who's Who 2015|publisher=A & C Black|accessdate=22 January 2015|date=October 2014}}</ref>
==Career== He joined National Westminster Bank, where he stayed until 1996, during which time he studied at INSEAD. His banking career included roles in International Banking, oversight of Coutts & Co and as Senior Manager of a network of high street branches centred at County Hall, London. He joined Business Link London in 1996, as a Personal Business Adviser, transferring to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in 1999. After a period in the FCO's Resource and Budgeting Department he was appointed to the Senior Civil Service and served as Head of the Commonwealth Department.<ref name="whoswho"/>
In 2003, Ahmad was seconded to the Prime Minister's Office where he served as head of the Communication and Information Centre for a period, and then to UK Trade and Investment where he was Director, Asia from 2004 until 2008. He returned to FCO policy work as head of the South East Asia and Pacific department, dealing with issues relating to ASEAN countries, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. For a short period in 2009, he ran the British embassy in Rangoon.<ref name="gov.uk"/>
In 2010, Ahmad was appointed as Her Majesty's Ambassador to Thailand and Laos. Apart from the UK, he has lived in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, China, Poland, Thailand, Philippines and Jamaica.<ref name="whoswho"/><ref name="gov.uk"/>
From July 2013 to July 2017 he was British Ambassador to the Philippines and to Palau. In August 2017 he became the British High Commissioner to Jamaica.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/asif-ahmad|title=Asif Ahmad CMG|work=GOV.UK|access-date=3 May 2021}}</ref>
==Awards and recognition== In January 2014, Ahmad was nominated for the Civil Servant of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.<ref name="asianimage">{{cite news |url=http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/united_kingdom/10978079.British_Muslim_Awards_2014_winners/|title=British Muslim Awards 2014 winners|publisher=Asian Image|date=31 January 2014|accessdate=1 August 2015}}</ref>
In 2017, Ahmad was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2017 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61962|supp=y|page=B10|date=17 June 2017}}</ref>
==Honours== '''Key to the City''' *25 px|border Cebu, Philippines (12 March 2015)<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=575971411769970688|title=PIC: Earlier today Amb @AsifAAhmad & British business delegation met with Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Almendras Magpale.|user=ukinphilippines|author=British Embassy Manila|date=12 March 2015}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=Quinton Quayle|rows=2}} {{s-ttl |title=British Ambassador to Thailand |years=2010–2012 }} {{s-aft|after=Mark Kent}} {{s-ttl |title=British Ambassador to Laos |years=2010–2012 }} {{s-aft|after=Philip Malone|rows=1}} {{s-bef|before=Stephen Lillie|rows=2}} {{s-ttl |title=British Ambassador to the Philippines |years=2013–2017 }} {{s-aft|after=Daniel Pruce|rows=2}} |- {{s-ttl |title=British Ambassador to Palau |years=2013–2017 }} |- {{s-bef|before=David Fitton|rows=2}} {{s-ttl |title=British High Commissioner to the Bahamas |years=2017–2019 }} {{s-aft|after=Sarah Dickson}} {{s-ttl |title=British High Commissioner to Jamaica |years=2017-2021| }} {{s-aft|after=Judith Slater}} {{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmad, Asif Anwar}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:English Muslims Category:English people of Bangladeshi descent Category:Members of HM Diplomatic Service Category:Alumni of St Cuthbert's Society, Durham Category:INSEAD alumni Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Laos Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Thailand Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Philippines Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Palau Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:High commissioners of the United Kingdom to the Bahamas Category:21st-century British diplomats